Tick Poisoning

What is tick poisoning and is it common?

Tick poisoning is due to the toxin from a tick called Ixodes holocyclus or the paralysis tick. The tick toxin causes various signs which will be described later.  Tick poisoning is very common in areas where the tick is found such as along the Eastern seaboard of Australia. Thankfully areas outside of this relatively narrow band of coastal land, pets are saved from the danger of poisoning by this deadly tick.  Tick season may be year round in some tropical regions but is classically spring and summer time (September until April)

What are the signs of tick poisoning?

The toxin causes a variety of quite disparate signs.  Initially the dog may start to vomit and then become wobbly (ataxic) in the back legs.  24 hours after the fist signs of poisoning, the paralysis progresses so that the dog cannot use the back legs at all and the front legs may also get wobbly.  At this point, the breathing may start to become laboured and the dog will become increasingly stressed.  Within another 24 hours the dog may be totally paralysed and can die at any point of toxicity.  Sometimes male dogs may find it difficult to urinate properly.

What can I do?

The safest action is to ring your veterinarian for advice.  If the dog is showing any signs it is best to make an appointment to see your veterinarian.  Removing the tick does not ensure recovery since most patients continue to deteriorate for at least 24 hours after the tick is removed ,as the toxin continues to attach to the nerve muscle junctions long after removal of the tick.

What can the veterinarian do?

On arrival the veterinarian will remove the tick safely.  Medications will be given to calm your dog and treat the effects of the tick poison.  Most importantly, the veterinarian can administer the anti-venom or tick anti-toxin.  Occasionally the tick anti-toxin may cause some dangerous side effects during its administration but your veterinarian will discuss these with you and give the anti-toxin in such a way to minimise these risks. The risk of not having the anti-toxin is far greater than giving the anti-toxin.  Your pet is likely to require hospitalisation for as long as necessary until they can walk and eat again without risk.

Can I pull the tick out myself?

You can but it is safer to wait for your veterinarian to do it unless there is a significant (hours) delay until you can see the veterinarian.  Most veterinarians consider tick poisoning is sufficient of an emergency in most cases to justify an immediate appointment.  Most times veterinarians can gain valuable information from actually seeing the tick.  In addition, removing the tick can make the poisoning worse if the tick is squeezed or torn.  If you do find a tick attached to your pet and need to remove it, grasp the tick with fine tweezers, fingernails or a “Tick Twister” near the dog's skin and firmly pull it straight out.  You may need another person to help restrain your dog.  Whilst people often ask about “leaving the head in” the tick only has a feeding tube and it is not critical if this is not removed.  Finally, it is safer not to remove the tick unless you know what you are doing since veterinarians have been known to tend to pets after having owners remove “ticks” only to find that nipples or warts have been cut off.

"If you do find a tick attached to your pet and need to remove it, grasp the tick with fine tweezers, fingernails or a “Tick Twister” near the dog's skin and firmly pull it straight out."

What can I do to prevent tick poisoning?

Your veterinarian will discuss these options with you. There are many excellent products such as spot-on products, sprays and tick collars that minimise the chance that your dog will get a tick. However it is important to realise that nothing is 100% and the best means of preventing tick poisoning is to thoroughly search your dog every single day.  We will be more than happy to show you how to effectively perform a tick search on your pet.  It will also help to minimise the amount of exposure your dog has to bushland and prevent unsupervised visits into the bush.  Keeping your backyard well kept and trimmed will minimise the presence of ticks in the area.

Is there a tick vaccine?

Active research on developing a tick vaccine is ongoing and hopefully will be result in an effective vaccination one day soon.  Your veterinarian will keep you informed of the latest developments in this disease and possibility of further treatments including vaccination.